There ain't no samurai, there are few geisha, Japanese are not the most polite people in the world. In practice, there is no special love or care for nature, nor is Japan uniquely unique. Sorry, but the sugar-coated fantasyland-Japan of Edwin O. Reischauer et al does not exist--if it ever did.

Friday, February 08, 2008

Japan says it will complain to Australia about its release of graphic photographs of whales being killed by a Japanese fleet in Antarctic waters. More here.

Whatever one thinks of whaling* (for research, of course) this is a bit strange. Perhaps I have missed something, but I don't believe that I have ever heard of a country protesting such a thing before.

*It turns out that one of the whales was a calf. Japan got caught, so what are they protesting? This was too much for C.W. Nicol who is no anti-hunter and has been a supporter of Japan's right to hunt whale within the laws of the IWC. He appears to no longer hold this belief as Japan is not following those laws. The crooks are angry at being caught.